All of our leg pain procedures are done on outpatient basis at our freestanding facility. They take about an hour, and you will walk out with just a Band-aid on your hip.

When you make an appointment with us, we will talk to you about your symptoms and your medical history and perform a full exam to accurately diagnose your leg pain. We will then recommend the appropriate course of action to most effectively and quickly allow you to return to an active and pain-free life. We may recommend lifestyle changes to reduce symptoms, we may refer you to a different specialist to treat leg pain caused by bone or muscle disorders, or we may suggest one of the following procedures to treat leg pain caused by disorders of your blood vessels.

Endovenous Ablation: Endovenous radiofrequency ablation and endovenous laser ablation are used to treat varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). CVI causes symptoms such as swelling, aching, and heaviness because the blood is pooling in the legs due to damaged veins. Endovenous ablation closes off the damaged veins so that healthy veins will take over the transport of blood.

Thrombectomy and Thrombolysis: Deep vein thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the deep veins of the leg. Thrombectomy is the removal of the blood clot and thrombolysis is the safe destruction of the blood clot.

Angioplasty: When arteries become narrowed by plaque, it can cause Peripheral Artery Disease, with symptoms such as pain in the buttocks or legs when exercising, cold feet due to poor circulation, and non-healing ulcers of the feet and ankles. Angioplasty is a procedure that compresses plaque and widens arteries, allowing blood to flow freely again.

Stent Placement: Narrowed arteries can be widened with angioplasty, but it is possible for them to collapse again. If your artery appears to be likely to collapse again, a tiny mesh tube can be placed in the artery to hold it open and keep the blood moving.

Angioplasty

To perform angioplasty, a balloon catheter is inserted into a vein or artery and guided through your circulatory system to the narrowed section of the artery or vein, then the balloon is expanded to compress plaque and widen the blood vessel. Once the vessel has been widened, a stent may be placed in the vessel to hold it open and prevent future problems.

“Angioplasty” is a word composed of the Greek words aggeios meaning “vessel”, and plastos meaning “formed” or “molded”.

Angioplasty is a catheter-based procedure that our doctors perform at our freestanding facility in Dayton, Ohio. The procedure takes about an hour and does not require a hospital stay.

Endovenous Ablation

Endovenous ablation is performed to close off damaged blood vessels and force healthy blood vessels to take over the transportation of blood to the area. It is typically used to treat varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency.

Endovenous ablation is a catheter-guided procedure. The catheter is placed into your vein and guided to the far end of the damaged vein. Once it is in place, a laser or a radiofrequency emitter is fed through the catheter to reach the damaged vein. It is allowed to protrude from the catheter, and it begins to seal off the vein. The catheter is then slowly drawn out of the vein, sealing it off as it goes.

The ablated vein will be reabsorbed by the body, and blood flow will be diverted to healthy veins in the area.

The only difference between radiofrequency ablation and laser ablation is the method that is used to close off the vein.

Radiofrequency ablation uses a mild and painless radiofrequency energy, similar to the microwaves that you use to heat your food, to destroy the blood vessel and cause it close.

Laser ablation uses a laser to destroy the blood vessel and cause it to close.

Peripheral Artery Stenting

A stent is a tiny mesh tube that is inserted into a vessel to reshape the vessel walls. They are often inserted into blood vessels that have been narrowed by plaque buildup (atherosclerosis) or due to collapse. Angioplasty is often performed to widen the blood vessel, then a stent is placed inside the blood vessel to prevent the blood vessel from collapsing or narrowing again. Stents are also placed as stent grafts to create new vessel walls in the case of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

Stent placement is a catheter-based procedure. The catheter carries the stent to the location of the narrowed or collapsed blood vessel, then the stent is placed in position, possibly as part of the balloon angioplasty procedure.

Peripheral artery stenting is a procedure that ensure that the arteries to the arms and legs stay open and clear so that oxygenated blood can flood freely. When the blood flow is restricted by atherosclerosis to the legs or arms, it is called peripheral artery disease, and it can cause pain, numbness, and inadequate healing of the lower leg or arm. A stent can be placed into the narrowed arteries to improve blood flow and allow blood flow to return to normal.

Peripheral artery stenting is a catheter-based procedure that our doctors perform at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. The procedure takes about an hour and a short hospital stay is expected.

Thrombectomy and Thrombolysis

Thrombectomy and thrombolysis are used to treat blood clots within arteries or veins. These can occur for many reasons, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and peripheral artery disease (PAD). Thrombectomy is the removal of the blood clot, thrombolysis is the destruction of the blood clot.

A flexible catheter is inserted and guided to the location of the clot with the help of fluoroscopy (live X-ray). In thrombolysis, a clot-busting (thrombolytic) chemical is injected directly into the clot so that it dissolves harmlessly. In thrombectomy, the clot is grabbed and then slowly drawn out of the vein or artery.

These are both catheter-guided procedures that our doctors perform at our freestanding facility. The procedure takes about an hour and no overnight stay is required.